Annals of Long Term Care

There are many rules and regulations governing how care is provided to individuals residing in long-term care (LTC) facilities, which can be overwhelming to LTC providers. Although the objective of these rules and regulations, which are largely mandated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is to ensure that residents receive the highest quality care, they can sometimes be difficult to interpret and implement. This perspectives article provides a snapshot of some of the changes that LTC providers have faced over the years, including implementation of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987, various versions of the Minimum Data Set, and CMS’ quality indicators and quality measures. It also briefly examines how the LTC landscape continues to evolve and outlines what the next generation of LTC providers may expect.